So, you want to try your hand at product photography but don’t want to spend the money on a professional light box? No worries, our DIY photo light box tutorial is here to help you out.
So, what is a photo light box?
A photo light box is designed to create even lighting around a subject (usually a product).
Any online product shots that you see were most likely photographed in a light box. Normally against a white background, but you can use different colors if you want. It’s mostly designed so that you can get totally even lighting all around your product.
Check out the video or you can read through the tutorial below.
The Light Box Tutorial
First, gather your supplies.
To complete the DIY photo light box tutorial, you will need the following:
- Cardboard box
- Utility knife or scissors
- Paper for backdrop
- Diffusion material (fabric, tissue paper, etc.)
- Tape + binder clips
- Lights
You can complete this project with items that are just sitting around your house, or you can spend less than $10.
Or, with the knowledge you acquire in this tutorial, you might decide to build a bigger, better lightbox!
Second, cut your holes in your cardboard box
Arrange the box so that the bottom is the ‘back wall’ of your box. Cut rectangular holes on what is now the ‘top’ of the box and each of the sides.
Third, attach your backdrop
I use a large piece of white construction paper as the background of the light box. I attach the top and bottom with binder clips to keep it from moving around. You can keep it curved too like a cyclorama.
Next, attach your diffusion materials.
Whether you use diffusion fabric, or tissue paper, or packing materials. Tape your diffusion materials over the holes you cut out in the second step.
Set Up Your Lights and You’re Good to Go!
Now it is time to set up your lights and get started. You can put lights on both sides or above or both. Let’s see how it looks in comparison to a more professional light box.
Did you find this DIY photo light box tutorial helpful?
How did this work for you? Please share your photos of your DIY light box and the photos you take from it and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter so that I can see the results!
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